Transcript presentation source

Publishing on the Web: Why—
and Why Not
Informatics Training for
CDC Public Health Advisors
Web: The ultimate printing press

Key reason for WWW success: Ease of
‘publishing’, ie, document distribution

Very powerful capability

Most PH organizations are at least
considering getting a Web ‘home page’

Not a bad idea—but is it worth the
expenditure of scarce public health dollars?
Disadvantages of Web publishing

Temporary disadvantages
 Web
services not yet available everywhere
 Many people will need training to use this
resource, etc.

Inherent disadvantages
 It
requires computing equipment to use—many
PH constituents will not have access!
 At the moment, it is a “pull” technology, etc.
Our health department should be
on the Web because...

it is possible to
distribute information
that way.
Yes! It can be done!
Our health department should be
on the Web because...

it is a cheap way to
distribute information.
Our health department should be
on the Web because...

it is a really fast way
to get information out.
Our health department should be
on the Web because...

Anyone who is anyone
has a Web presence
these days.
Our health department should be
on the Web because… (cont’d)

it will improve our
visibility in the
community, and
improve the image of
the health department.
HEALTH DEPT.
Our health department should be
on the Web because… (cont’d)

that’s how everyone
expects to get
information these
days.
Our health department should be
on the Web because… (cont’d)

it’s fun! (See also:
neat, cool, nifty…)
Our health department should be
on the Web because… (cont’d)

given its power and
flexibility, and a
realistic sense of its
limitations and costs,
this technology meets
a high-priority
business need in the
most cost-effective
manner.
Web publishing “pearls”

The Web is a truly revolutionary advance in ability
to disseminate information

Web publishing has disadvantages, however; some
temporary, some inherent

It ain’t free: initial and ongoing costs

If you publish on the Web, do it for the right
reasons